Radical Responses to Radical Regimes: Evaluating Preemptive Counter-Proliferation

Abstract

On December 7, 1993, Secretary of Defense Les Aspin announced that the United States was adding a military dimension to its fight to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The new program, called the Counter- Proliferation Initiative (CPI), provides funding to prepare for combating foes with nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) and missile weapons on future battlefields, improves monitoring for locating rival NBC/missile programs, improves theater defenses, and develops weapons capable of penetrating and destroying underground facilities. U.S. efforts will include a diplomatic offensive to persuade U.S. allies to take similar counter-proliferation steps. The central thrust of the CPJ is to prepare U.S. and allied forces for dealing with future enemies on the battlefield who are armed with weapons of mass desfruction. An important secondary thrust of the CPI is to provide the Commander-in-Chief with the tools to disarm an adversary unilaterally if necessary, before the adversary can initiate the use of WMD in situations where we are on a collision course with such an enemy and no alternative course seems feasible.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1995
Accession Number
ADA421973

Entities

People

  • Barry R. Schneider

Organizations

  • National Defense University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Counter IED
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Arms Control
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Economic Sanctions
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • Military Organizations
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Bombs
  • Nuclear Materials
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Second World War
  • Treaties
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Nuclear Non-Proliferation and International Security
  • Strategic Security Studies